The Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park

Tonight we sleep at Camp 5 in the Grand Canyon, maybe a nice sandy beach, next to a gentle riffle in the river for good sleeping and  sound effect. We are far from civilization now and the computer I used to type this bIogpost is unplugged and forgotten. How great that I can offer you a recipe, composed as a draft and set to be posted on this day.

I was handed this recipe as part of the trip menu, so I have no idea who Olga is or where the recipe came from. I do know that my team, composed of trip leader Harrison, Robbie and me, is responsible for cooking for all 16 of us this night. I am not perfectly sure if we’ll have any fresh lettuce left for salad, but last week I bought 5 fine-quality chocolate bars at Whole Foods for dessert. They are packed with everything we need for the meal. This time of year our Ranui CSA box often contains heirloom tomatoes and bright fresh basil, which Olga’s recipe calls for, but knowing that we would be operating out of coolers in 100 + degrees F, we packed purchased pesto and canned tomatoes. I know it will taste as wonderful as Olga’s after an exciting and relaxing day on the river.

Olga’s Tomato Basil Pasta

Mix together and allow to marinate overnight:

¼ cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Shortly before dinner:

Generously salt a large pot of boiling water to the point that is tastes like a soup. Add the pasta and cook as directed. Add the salt and pepper to the basil and tomatoes. When the pasta is tender to the tongue drain it completely and toss with the basil and tomato mixture. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 pound angel hair pasta

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Makes about 4 servings.

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Gwen’s Parmesan Vinaigrette with Heirloom Tomatoes

Gwen is my foodie and hiking friend who lives in Carefree Arizona. She publishes her own cookbooks and a writes a blog called penandfork. In fact, she set up muffintalk at wordpress.com after she heard how my husband calls it “talking muffin” when he notices me yakking about recipes and bakeries etc. with fellow pastry chefs and other food-minded folk.

I gleaned this recipe from Gwen’s website, also Pen and Fork, in 2003, and I fed Gwen and her fly-fisherman husband heirloom tomatoes with vinaigrette when they came for dinner last month.

Ranui Gardens heirloom tomatoes this year have been prolific, for which we are grateful. I remember years when we were lucky to get 2 tomatoes all season and they’ve been in our box the last 5 weeks!

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon Real Salt

2 teaspoons minced red onion

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, oregano, parsley, etc.)

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Put vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt, onion, Parmesan cheese, herbs and black pepper in a blender and whir until creamy, about 20 seconds. With the motor running, pouring through the top, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Add more salt and pepper, to taste. Pour over lovingly sliced heirloom tomatoes.

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Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad

Even though we ourselves were contributing to the traffic and smog, I loved having our car for the trip last week to California. We drove out of the dry Santa Monica mountains on Sunday, dropping right into Malibu on Highway 1.

A toast to the bride and groom

I was craving an egg breakfast after a late night of wedding celebration with sparkling wine and tequila and I kept my eyes alert for the perfect stop. The day was brilliant ocean and sky bright, the highway busy with weekend warrior bikers in full regalia, on “hogs” and road bikes both, with no lack of eye candy in all ways. An hour down the coast, about the time I decided that the granola and soy milk in our ice chest would be just fine, we passed a coffee shop with people waiting outside. “Let’s go there!” Found: cora’s coffee shoppe, at the Santa Monica beach. We grabbed seats at the counter—no line there—and besides, I love sitting at the bar and watching cooks juggle orders; there is so much to see and hear, especially since much of the banter was in Spanish. One glance at the menu and I knew my mojo was working. At the bottom, in bold, “all our food products are freshly made and organic whenever appropriate.” I ordered the burrata caprese omelette; burrata is artisan mozzarella cheese and caprese indicates mozzarella cheese with tomatoes and basil. While we sipped our Illy coffee, a bowl of heirloom tomatoes a foot from my face dwindled its contents to the prep cook in front of us who replenished more for display. He diced the tomatoes and with chiffonade of basil, toppled them over omelettes, and eventually one of them was mine. It came with olive bread toast and a 2-inch slice of baked potato, griddled, golden and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil. Where could we get some of those heirloom tomatoes today? Voila! The fellow diner to our right told us about the farmer’s market 3 blocks away. We fed the parking meter again and walked there with happy tummies. Life’s a beach.

Caprese Salad with Fresh Mozzarella, Tomatoes and Basil

This is salad in the style of Capri Italy—simply dressed to show off the bounty of the season and region.

Red or yellow summer tomatoes, very ripe

Fresh mozzarella cheese balls

Fresh basil leaves

Coarse sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Balsamic vinegar (optional)

Slice the cheese into 3/8-inch thick slices. Wash and trim the tomatoes and slice them also into 3/8-inch thick slices. You want as many slices of tomatoes as you have slices of cheese. Select and wash basil leaves—you will need as many leaves as you have slices of cheese.

Place a slice of tomato on a serving platter. Lay over it a slice of cheese, with about 1/2 inch of tomato showing. Place a basil leaf on the cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Continue around in a circle, arranging like a flower and seasoning each layer of ingredients with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and the vinegar, if using.

Makes as many servings as you wish, figure 2 or 3 slices per person of the cheese and tomato.

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